Grain-carrier.



No. 756,938. PATENTED APR. 12, 1904. J. GFFMAN.

R GRAIN CARRIER. APPLIQATIONHLED AUG.' 1, 190s;

N0 MODEL.

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ivo. "755935.

ISatented April 12,. 1904.

PATENT GEEICE.

JOSEPH' COEEMAN, OF LIBERTY, INDIANA.

GRAIN-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. b156,938, dated April 12, 1904.

Application filed August i, i903.

T0 a/Z whom, it may concern/ Be it known that I, JOSEPH COFEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Liberty, Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grain-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to grain-carriers of that class adapted to use on harvesting-machines and elsewhere; and the objects of my Vimprovement are to dispense with the ordinary canvas carriers and to provide carriers which are not affected by exposure to the weather; to provide carriers which are continuous throughout the platform, elevator, and deck; to provide fingers on endless chains which are hinged thereon and adapted to be turned laterally to horizontal or vertical positions; to provide means to move the fingers into vertical operative position; to provide means to fold the lingers horizontally after the load is discharged for the purpose of utilizing a thinner platform, and to provide a platform that is substantially solid. These objects are attained in the following-described manner, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a transverse section of the platform,elevator, and deck on the line of one of the endless-chain carriers; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of portions of the platform on the line w Fig. 3, an elevation of portions of the grain end of the platform, showing the slanting groove adapted to lift the chain-fingers from folded to operative position; Fig. 4, an elevation of portions of the delivery end of the deck, showing the slanting groove adapted to fold the fingers to horizontal positions; Fig. 5, a plan, and Fig. 6 a cross-section of a chain provided with a laterally-folding finger.

In the drawings, 7 represents the platform of a harvesting-machine, 8 the elevator, inclined upwardly therefrom, and 9 the deck, declined at right angles from the elevator, all being securely connected together to forma single structure. A series of endless-chain grooves 11 are formed parallel with each other around said structure and just beneath its upper and above its under surface. Open fingergrooves 12, formed vertically in the upper Serial No. 1679844. (No model.)

surface of the structure, communicate with one edge of the respective grooves 11 and form right angles 1n cross-section thereto.

vSaid finger-grooves are extended throughout the bottom portion of said structure and form horizontal lateral extensions 13 of said chain-grooves 11, as shown in Fig. 2. Said vertical and horizontal grooves 12 and 13 communicate with each other at the grain end of j the platform and at the discharge end of the' deck through quarter-turn grooves 14 and 15, respectively, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Endless sprocket-chains 16 are mounted in the respective chain-grooves and driven therethrough in the direction indicated by the arrows by means of corresponding sprocketwheels 17, mounted on driving-shaft 1.8. Said shaft is journaled in the outer portion of the angle formed by the elevator with the platform. Idle sprocket Wheels or rollers 21, 22, 23, and 24, serve' to carry the chains around correspondingangles to avoid excessive friction. Preferably at regular intervals in the length of each chain a finger 25 is hinged to one side of a link, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. rIhe side of the link forms the pintle of the hinge, and the hinge portion 26 of the finger is preferably formed with a lug 27 on one or both ends to engage with a cross-bar of the link and limit the lateral swing or movement of the finger from exceeding the vertical or horizontal positions. Shield 28 is mounted over the elevator, and butter 29 is secured to the deck,as in ordinary forms of construction. The portion of the chain -grooves 11 in the deck decline at an angle to its surface, and the open finger-grooves 12 formed therein become deeper toward its discharge end,whereby the fingers are withdrawn therein and disengaged from the vgrain just before its delivery to the binder mechanism. (Not shown.)

In operation the cut grain falls on the platform and is engaged by and carried laterally by the fingers, which project vertically through the finger -grooves and above the surface of the platform. The movement of the grain is continued under the shield up the surface of the elevator and toward the discharge end of the deck. The gradual deepening of the finger-grooves in the surface of the d eck causes IOO the lingers to be withdrawn therein and disengagedv from the grain to prevent any of the grain becoming entangled with the fingers and carried beyond the point of delivery. After the fingers are withdrawn beneath the grain they enter the quarter-'turn of the groove, whereby they are folded from the vertical to the horizontal position to occupy less vertical space and avoid contact with all external obstacles in their return under the structure to the grain end of the platform,where they arel caused to resume the vertical position by their passage through the quarter-turn portion of the grooves formed at this point in the plat* fO'IIIl:

This form of construction permits the platform and other parts of the structure to be made solid with the exception of the grooves therein and to be as thin as may be necessary to cut close to the ground and receive the grain properly thereon, and both the upper and lower surfaces of the structure outside of the grooves may be formed of sheet.- metal securely fastened thereon, as shown at 31 in Fig. 2.

Having fully described my improvement, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In a grain-carrier, the combination with an integral structure consisting of ahorizontal platform, an elevator inclined upwardly therefrom and a deck declining at right angles from the elevator, said structure being formed with L-shaped open grooves in its upper surface and with horizontal grooves in the under surface of the platform portion and communicating by quarter turns with said L shaped grooves, the grooves in the deck portion being gradually deepened toward its discharge end, of endless chains movable in the corresponding said grooves, laterally-movable fingers mounted at intervals thereon, driving sprocket-wheels for the chains mounted at the external angle between the platform and the elevator, and idle antifriction-rollers mounted respectively at the grain end of the platform, the discharge end of the deck and in the external and internal angles between the elevator and deck, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a grain-carrier the combination of a deck formed integral with an elevator and a platform, said deck having open L shaped grooves in its upper surface, said grooves being gradually deepened and terminating in quarter-turns around the discharge end of the deck, of endless chains movable in said respective grooves, laterally-movable lingers mounted at intervals on the chains, and drivingwheelsfor the chains mounted at the junction of the platform with the elevator, substantially as specified and forthe purpose set forth.

JOSEPH COFFMAN.

Witnesses:

W. B. FINLEY, W. C. WITT. 

